Ben Hart, the face behind Revival Cafe, is a people person, a trait which is strongly reflected in the “vibrant” venue he and his team have built for the residents of Blakeview, a growing suburb with many young families located between Adelaide’s CBD and the Barossa Valley.
“I love people, and I love building a community through Revival,” he says.
“We opened Revival just over three years ago because there was a need in our local area for a brunch café. We pride ourselves on providing good vibes, good coffee, and great food.”
Central to Ben’s intention to provide for the Blakeview community is introducing many of its members to specialty coffee, a venture supported through the supply of Toby’s Estate coffee. “I love introducing people to specialty coffee who haven’t experienced it before and taking them on a bit of a journey. Once they try Toby’s Estate coffee, they notice the difference, and keep coming back,” Ben says.
Revival offers Woolloomooloo as its house blend, which has notes of intense chocolate, butterscotch, and dried fruits. The café also offers a rotating limited-edition Flavour Savour blend from Toby’s Estate, which at the time of print, was its Crème Brûlée blend. “It’s going to be amazing, with notes of custard apple, fudge and vanilla bean,” Ben says.
Ben and his staff efficiently prepare coffees with a Victoria Arduino Mythos One and Mahlkonig EK43 grinders, a PuqPress Q2, and a custom-painted white and teal VA388 Black Eagle, to match the bright palette of the venue.
“The Black Eagle is super easy and quick to use, especially when we get crazy busy on the weekends,” he says. “Toby’s Estate provides almost all of our equipment and upgrades us regularly, which keeps us fresh in the industry.”
Revival’s spirited name and design are consistent with its “good vibes” philosophy, a culture which sees regular customers become friends with other regulars, and staff encouraged to build ongoing relationships with customers. This community-building approach, coupled with blue neon-light signage and bright and summery colours of teal, white, and a hint of pastel pink, means that guests come in feeling uplifted.
Revival also offers a seasonally updated menu while also keeping some regular favourites year-round. “The Fried Chicken Benny and smashed avo are really popular, and put a twist on the classics,” Ben says. To continue offering something new to the loyal regulars, Revival Cafe is starting special weekday-only items when business is a tiny bit quieter, so it can spend time on a few more elaborate menu items.
After three years of Revival Cafe, and 15 years in hospitality, Ben says he has built many meaningful relationships.
“On top of a passion for coffee and great food, it’s definitely the people that keep you going every day. We love our regular customers, and we love meeting new people,” he says.
Revival Cafe
15/63 Main Terrace, Blakeview, South Australia, 5114
Open Tuesday to Friday 7:30am – 3:00pm and Saturday to Sunday 8:30am – 3:00pm
This article appears in the October 2022 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
